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Hay fever Rescue Kit

Hello lovelies, hope you're having a good weekend!

We've had some lovely weather lately here in England, with warm sunny days and blue sky, which in England is pretty rare, not that I'm complaining. However, for some of us, all this nice weather brings hay fever. Oh, what joys.

I honestly hate hay fever and have suffered with it for nearly 10 years now (I feel old), and it's always around this time of year it becomes such a burden and can actually make you feel quite down. The good weather comes, and you have to make the choice of going outside and enjoying it, but suffering from a sniffly nose and itchy eyes, or staying inside moping. Woop.

Although I haven't actually been able to go out very much recently due to revision, hay fever has really affected me this year and my symptoms have been at an all-time high, making my skin suffer.

Some of you reading this might well suffer from hay fever too, so I thought I'd share what I've been using to get me through so I can hopefully provide you with some helpful ideas to make the whole thing a little more bearable!

First up, I'll get the slightly more boring stuff out the way, ever since I've had hay fever I've taken medication for it, just a tablet a day of antihistamines (obviously consult your doctor before taking any medication) and these certainly help to some degree. However, I always find especially if I even brush past my eye for a second I can set off crazy itchiness, so this season I've also used some other products.

I've started using Allercrom eye drops, these have really helped! My eyes are always the biggest giveaway when I'm suffering from hay fever, people always ask, what's wrong with your eyes? Are you crying? Why are your eyes red? It gets very repetitive, but these are the first eye drops I've used which have really made a difference, stopped all itchiness quickly and actually reduced redness.

I also suffer from lots and lots of sneezing, which is great fun, but I've found this nasal spray really helps to stop you having quite as many sneezing fits. If you had to pick one or the other though, I'd definitely chose the eye drops as you can really feel them working, and for a long time too.

Next up, products I've been using to treat my skin. When I'm suffering badly with hay fever my skin really takes a battering, it becomes very dry, especially around my nose, and this year near the outer corners of my eyes. I also get puffy eyes with dull looking skin. Not ideal in anyone's books.

Cleanse cleanse cleanse:

When my skin really needs a treat, I always return to Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish. It's so gentle on your skin and glides across so smoothly. It is great for taking off makeup and making your skin feel really clean and refreshed, goodbye dullness! I also find it really hydrating too which is great for any dry patches cropping up.

Exfoliate:

Now, when my hay fever is really bad and my skin is really dry, I try to exfoliate only twice a week because I don't want to cause any more irritation. I use Liz Earle's Gentle Face Exfoliator, because it is the most gentle exfoliator I've ever used. There's no tingling sensations, no stinging, all you can feel is the tiny jojoba beads doing their job without being harsh on the skin. I love this because it really helps with dryness without making the problem worse, and my dry patches usually clear by the end of the week when I apply it.

Soothe those eyes:

As I mentioned, my eyes get so red and sore during hay fever season, so I really like to treat them with Liz Earle's Eyebright (bit of a theme here isn't there). I just pour a small amount on a cotton pad and wipe across gently, I LOVE the smell and it's just cooling and I feel it helps to calm my eyes down a little.

Moisturise:

My final step, moisturise, by now, if you're anything like me hopefully you'll be feeling a lot better by now and your skin will already be looking a bit brighter, eyes whiter, and generally less sneezing going on! I finish my simply rubbing in Soap & Glory's 6-in-1 Multiactive Moisture Lotion. It's my favourite moisturiser at the moment and just tops my skin routine off, ready for any make up to be applied. Moisture is key!

I know this post has been super wordy and super long, but I feel like some people really brush off hay fever as 'not real' or just making a fuss. It's not, and can really cause you a pain. Hopefully, this post has helped in some way and given you ideas of how to make the most out of the situation. Drop me a comment if you have a specific skin routine for when hay fever strikes, or if you have any other methods of keeping the symptoms at bay!